Device for launching flying-machines.



Y J.- MEANS. 'DEVIGE FOR LAUNCHING FLYING MACHINES.

nr uoumn- 11.31) 00121 1, 1908. I 922,713. v I Patented May 25, 1909.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

1 new: rmnamcnwvnnvnsmmnm J. MEAN S. DEVICE FOR LAUNGHING FLYING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 14, 190B. I 922,713. v Patented May 25,1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. MEANS.

Patem aed May 25, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 8 w W a 1 i y .E V 3? l DEVICE FOR LAUNGHING FLYING MAGHINES.

APPLICATION FILED 001'. 14, 190s.'-

MT E @551 'mover having 9.

UNITED srrnr FICE.

a r o JAMES MEANS, or sos'ron, uiissaoigii snrrs.

DEVICE FOR LAUNCHING- FLYING-MACHINES.

Application filed October 14, 1908. Serial No. 457,640.

Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful improvement in Devices'for Launching Flying-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a paratus for launching flying machines of the aeroplane typ e wherein a certain high initial velocity in a dlrection opposite to that of the wind, im-

arted by means extraneous to the machine, is desirable for soaring.

My invention has special relation to the type of launching a paratus described in u y application Serial l o. $19,433 filed August 20, 1908, and its object is to provide -means whereby the weight of such apparatus may be decreased in order to render the same more easily trans ortable.

It will be readi y understood that the port-i ability of such launching apparatus is quite essential to the use of flying machines in nnhtary and other operations, and to this end it is desirable that no one part of the a paratus shall be of-greater size or weight t an can conveniently be carried from place to place by the usual means employed for transporting military equipment.

It is -obv10us that in launching a flyingmachine the maximum of power required is exerted for only a few seconds at the time of launching; It is also obvious that a motor capable of continuously exerting this maximum would be cumbrous in transportation on a military field. 1 I =thetefoteaccomplish the desired result by avaih myself of a small and easily transportab e motor pro vided with attachments which enable it to exert as a maximum the cumulative efi'ect of its action, in the manner hereinafter described.

With the foregoing object in view, my invention consists in means whereb the energy of a small prime-mover, such or example as a one-cylinder ercci flosive engine, may be stored or accumulate for a relatively long period of time and then ex ended in a relatively short period of time, for example, the time required for launching a flying machine.

My invention embodies therefore a primeotential energy storing device such as a ywheel, and. means for in- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1909' creasing, preferably progressively, the speed or ,GfiQCillVe weight, and therefore the momentum, of such device.

form. .a part of this spcciiiration, ligure 1 is apparatus for launching Fig. 2 an elevation of one. embodiment of my energy accunuilator. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line i 3-43 of Fig. 2. Fig. t is an elevation partly insection of another embodiment of my energy accumulator.

In the drawings, 1 represents a revolu'ble table supported, preferably on ball hearings or other friction reducing devices, by the sta'i'idards 2 and the journal 4, which all'ords a bearing for the axle 3 rigidly secured to said table. The upper floor of said table, carried by the uprights 5, supports the base 6 in such manner that the latter may be tilted at any desired angle with respect to said table. As shown iii the drawings the base is pivoted at '2' to the standard 8 sup iorted by the upper floor of said table, and al though it will be 1131- derstood that any convenient means may be employed for elevating one end of said base, the ua-rticular mei-ms disclosed herein eonsists, shown, in the member 12 provided with the rack 16 with which the gear 14 engages. The base 6 rests upon a roller 13 1ournaled in the upper portion of the member 12, so that the operation of said the crank 15 or other suitable meaudifiill serve to elevate the outer end of said hose,

pawl 8 (.06 crating vviththe teeth 17. "II'fir asmuclt as in passing over and supported by the pulls s l0 10, the shafts of which have bearingsit the journals 11, i1, Will be varied when the base tilted at an angle with respect to the table, I may provide means for shifting the position of the journal 11 so as to vary the tension of said cable in a direction to compensate that caused by said tilting. As shown, the means employed to accomplish this result consist in the screw 19 0 erated by the crank 20 and cooperating Wit 1 the base ofathe journal 11 so as to move the latter which may be supported in the grooves 21.

It will be understood that the improvements about to be described may be used in dependently of the foregoing arrangement of a side view partly in section of my improved l'lymg-maclunes;

retrograde motion, being prevented by'the revoluble table, tilting means, and cable In the drawin 's which accom )an'v and n 1.

1e tension of the endless eahlei itension-relieving means, although it willbe found desirable in many instances to use the with reference to Figs. 2, drawings mechanism suitable for military same conj ointly.

fBy reference, to my a 1,0 is rotated by any suitable motor so that when the endless cable ghas imparted to'ita high velocity, a flying-machine or truck car-.

rymg the same may be given a corresponding velocity by clutch mechanism cooperating with'the cable. No particulartype of motor suitable for driving the cable was described- -shown in-Fig. 3, preferably is made in sect1ons ,:here1n shown as two in number, bolted together-in the usual manner at 29 and 30.

Although for convenience said flywheel is bhown as consisting of two sections, it,will be understood that 'agreater number of sections maybe and preferably will be employed.-

Theobject in usinga sectional flywheel is of course to facilitate the transportation of the apparatus, 25 "represents a small, easily transportable prime-mover, {for example, a single-cylinder internal combustion engine.

Arranged between the motor 25, and the he1ft 22 tO-WlliCll are keyed the pulley 1 0 and flywheel 23 is the speed 'changing device-24; which is bolted'to thebase 6 "and which is operated by the lever 28 in-the usual manner,

and the friction clutch 26 which is operated bYthGlGVG-l 27..'- The speed changing device 'Inay be of any suitable construction and m asmuch as such devices are well known and the construction thereof constitutes no part ofthe present invention, I deem it unneces sary to furtherdescribe the same, exce it to say that preferably it should be capab e vof "lYingWQ the shaft 22 from threeto five difteam, speeds While the friction clutch. is not absolutely essential I prefer to use the same inasmuch as speed-changingdevices are .frequently 1n ured 1n;operat1on,rmless the motive power is disconnected fron'i the ingoing sliaft thereof.

The'ioperation of the apparatus above described. i's'as follows The speed-changer 24 isset by the lever 28 so that the shaft 22 will have the minimum speed, the motor is 'st arted- ,and'thecfrictionclutch is closed,

whereupon the flywheel 23which may be too heavy to be rotated by themotor at a high rate of speed, will rotate slowly. As soon as said flywheel has acquired its maximum .velocity with the speed-changer set for least plication above referred toit will be seen t at when the pulley speed, the friction clutch is opened and the speed-changer set for the next higher speed, i

and so on progressively until the flywheel is rotating at the maximum speed attainable with the speed-changer set for the highest speed. .In this'way allarge amount of.en-

' ergy maybe stored up in said flywl: eel during therelatively long period of time rcquilied to bring the same to full speed, and such full speed having been acquired,-the device'is in condition to expend said energy during'the relatively short period'of time, at mosta few seconds, required for launching a flving machine. It is of course obvious that by the employment ofa 'inuch larger primemover an even heavier flywheel thanthe one above described could be brought to even higher velocity, but such an arrangement would be impracticable because of its lack of portability. However by means of the apparatus shown in Fig. 2 it is possible to employ a .flywheel which isso heavy that the. motor 25 would not be able to turn-the same over were the speed-changer set for highest speed. or if it were directly connected, but which may be brought progressively-i1 to the highest desirable speed by the proce ure aboveoutlined.v 4 In-Fig. 4 I have shown anothcrapparatus for accomplishing the result above set' forth.

.In the apparatus shown in Fig. 2.;the. mo-.

mentum of the flywheel is increased by progressiy ely increasing the speed thereof, and in that shown in Fig. 4 the momentum is increased by progressively. increasing the weight of the mass rotating with the shaft-.22. Iil'Flg. 4 the pulley 1t),v which is rigidlysecured to the shaft 22, may be made heavy enough to perform-the functions of a fly wheel, and one or moretauxiliary flywheels: 31, 3'2, and 33 may be associatediwith said p'ulle'y in any suitable manner so that progressively one or more may besecured to and caused to rotate with the same. In that particular embodiment of my invention shown in Fig. 4 the said flywheels are secured to the sleeves 310, 320, 330,'which are provided with outer flanges 311, 321,- 331-, with hich' the levers 34, 3-5 36- respectively: cooperate. The pulley 10 having been 1 15 brought to full speed-by the motor 25,. the

lower end of the lever 34, which may be pivoted to a frame 342,.is forced over tlie" springpressed latch 38 by the handle 343-01" 1 other suitable means, so that the upper, end

of said lever, which may be providedwith awheel .341 will force the' sleeve .310 forward and thereby secure the ,flywheel'31 by fric-. tion-or-otherwise to the pulley 10. The flywheel 31- will thereupon acquire a speed 'practicallyj-the same as-thatof'the pulley 10, r

whereupon, by-meansyof the levers 35 and 36. the flywheel 32 may besecuredtotheflgwheel 31 and finallythe flywheel 33;may

caused: to rotate" the pulley. .10v and flyiso wheels 31 and 32. When the entire rotating mass, which is now secured to the shaft 22, has acquired the maximum speed attainable by the' motor 25, thcap'paratus is in condition for launching a flying-machine.

It will be understood that the flywheels 31,

a large amount of energy may be accumu-,

lated and then expended during the few seconds required for launching a flyingmachine.

Yl'hile for the purpose of more fully disclosing my invention I have described in detail two specific embodiments thereof, it will be'understood that I do not limit myself to .said embodiments inasmuch as many modifications may be made therein without departing from the principal thereof, which briefly stated, consists in progressively increasing the momentum of moving mass during a relatively long period of time, by progressively increasing either the speed or the weight of said mass, and then expending accumulated energy of said mass during a relatively short period of time.

. I claim: I

1. In a device for launching flying-inachines, the combinationwith a prime mover and an endless cable of a shaft. operatively associated with said cable for actuatingthc same' a flywheel secured to and rotating with said shaft ,and means for increasing the momentum of said flywheel during the rotation thereof without increasing the speed of said prime mover.

'2. In a device for lam ching flying-rnachines, the combination with a revoluble table a prime mover and an endless cable sup ported thereby of a shaft operatively associated with said cable for actuating thesame, a flywheel secured to and rotating with said shaft, and means for increasing the momentum of said flywheel. during the rotation thereof without increasing the speed of said prime mo 'er.

3 In a device for launching flying-machines, the combin'ation with an endless ca ble of a shaft operatively a-sociat-ed with said cable for actuatingthe same, a sectional flywheel secured to and rotating with said shaft,; and means for increasing the momentum of said flywheel during the rotation thereof.

4. In a device for launching flying-niachines, the combination with an endless c11 supported thereby and normally therewith and means for tilting said ass at ble of a shaft operatively associated-with said cable for actuating the same, st-flywheel secured to and rotating with said shaft and means for pro ressively increasing the momentum of sai flywheel during the rotii'tion thereof.

5. In a device forlaunchin'g flying-niachines, the combination with an endless cable of a shaft operatively associated therewith for actuating the same, a sectional flywheel secured to and rotating with said shaft, and means for progressively increasing the momentum of said flywheel during the rotation thereof.

6. In a device for launching flying-machines; the combination with an endless c'a- I ble, of a shaft operatively associated with said cable for actuating the same, a flywheel secured to and rotating with said shaft, and means for increasing the speed and thereby the momentum of said flywheel during the rotation thereof.

7 In a device for launching flying-niachines, the combination with an endless cable, of a shaft operatively associated with said cable for actuating the same, a flywheel 71 secured to and rotating with said shaft; and

means for progressively increasing the speed and thereby themomentum of said flywheel during the rotation thereof.

8. In a device for launching flying-ma.- chines, the combination with an en ble, of a 'rime-mover associated therewith, a flywhee and a speed-c112 nging device arranged between sald p'rimeanover and said flywheel.

9. In a device for launching-fiying-machines, the, combinationwith an endless ca.- ble, -of Hr ime-mover associated therewith, a fiywliee and a speed-changing device and friction clutch arranged between said primemo er and said flywheel. 10'. In a device for launching flying-ma chines, a revoluble table, a base pivotally arallel with said base and means for varying the tension on said cable when said base is so tilted. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my jname this --13th day of Oct, 1908.

JAMES MEANS. Witnesses: v 5

E. .B. Tommson, y GEO. KLWoonwon'rn.

dless calaunching flying-inw- 

